16.5: Kidnapping case
I woke up at the crack of dawn.
I wasn't in the castle where I spent my childhood, but an inn. When I became a knight, I was offered to live in the dorms, but I rejected the offer in order to be able to focus on my revenge and avoid getting distracted by anything, but even with solitude and my thoughts as tools to enhance my thirst for revenge, I ended up not caring anymore after some time, as if someone had stopped those negative thoughts.
Later down the line, I began focusing more in improving my swordsmanship and deepening my relation with Gabriel and Jumonji...
After waking up, I headed downstairs, as always, and get outside of the building to run throughout the town, watching out for any fights or possible clues for the cases that we were investigating.
After running some laps around the outer rings of the town, I would go to HQ and take care of some paperwork, watching whether or not there were new cases and then I headed to the merc guild in order to check if there were any urgent requests.
After that, I jogged towards Jumonji's house, met Gabriel along the way, and then we trained for a while.
It was when we were leaving that we heard the sound of a crystal pan breaking.
Gabriel's face got slightly pale, he looked at me worried and said "We need to go!"
Being honest, it could be some cup or dish of porcelain that Jumonji kept as a memento of his family... But better safe than sorry, so we both began running... Well, he used a dot to teleport, so I was left behind pretty quickly. I still think that spatial element can only be regarded as a cheat... Sigh...
It was then that I heard "¡Who... the hell... are...*plof*"
I began sprinting, only to find a small figure carrying Jumonji and Gabriel. I couldn't get a clear look on what they looked like.
"Wait! Don't you dare run!" I said as I drew my sword
But of course, they ignored my words and ran while carrying the both men, seemingly unconscious (they must be pretty strong...).
They were so small that I wasn't even sure whether it was a human or not... But they reminded me of my brother.
My brother, Azezal, was a boy that my father adopted during his travels. He never said where he found him, and mysteriously enough, he never grew up. He always had the size of a newborn... Despite that, he was relatively inteligent and lively. It was during his examinations that the empire invaded and conquered the Lunar Kingdom in one fell swoop.
I tried to give them chase, but I couldn't reach them, and before long, I lost sight of them... 'What now?'
...
During a long time, I pursued revenge.
I did my best to hunt slave dealers, and the people, but maybe that was just a way to vent my anger and sorrow due to the loss of my parents and Azezal, and being forcefully separated from my siblings.
Maybe it was that target was the only thing that kept me alive, that prevented me from breaking down during that time. I can say that if I tried to destroy the empire to get revenge for my family, it wouldn't work, I knew that, even back when I was a slave.
It was only thanks to Gabriel that I eventually got out of that vicious cycle of revenge and hatred, and I began to look out for the citizens well being... Even if those citizens were from the Blood Empire. They hadn't done anything wrong. It was always the rulers who began wars. And generally, the townfolk suffered the consequences for it, no matter how high was the morale when the war began.
Both Jumonji and Gabriel gave me new targets. Ones that were brighter and more optimistic. Ones that didn't imply hurting and killing others for your own enjoyment, but to protect the ones who didn't have the power to do so. Mastering the sword and protecting the people.
However... Would I keep doing just that while they have been kidnapped? ... I simply refused to do so.
So I decided a new target. Finding out who did this, why, getting Jumonji and Gabriel back, whether they are alive or dead, and deciding a punishment for the perpetrator.
And so, I went back to my inn, to begin thinking who would benefit from this.
...
No matter how much I thought about it, the one who would want this situation to happen the most is the emperor... A past hero of war that refused his ideals, and the war that he was trying to cause. Even if many people wanted war to happen, Jumonji was a hero of war. He still had quite an influence into the people's opinion. If he dissappeared, probably the undecided ones would begin to wish for war, and if he can blame another kingdom, that would instantly make many of Jumonji's supporters want to find him or avenge him, if he is dead.
The news on the kidnapping will get out soon... And that is when it hit me. I am technically a suspect. I was the last person to see them. In the same way that the first person to see the body is suspected for killing, the last person to be with someone who was kidnapped would be suspected.
...
Is it okay to tell the truth...? I wonder...
With these worries, I went to sleep, knowing already that I probably wouldn't be able to sleep.